“And, mind, when I am through I shall not drag you. No, no, don’t untie your end of the rope; you’ll want that. Now, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Very well, then, as soon as I’m through I shall get on a dry rock and signal to you to come. Then you’ll slip in and swim to the rock again, and take a header off it. Don’t bungle it this time, and when you feel my touch at the rope, mind it’s not meant to haul, only to guide you to where I’m sitting.”
“But what about our clothes?” said Aleck, drearily.
“Bother our clothes! We want to save our skins and not our clothes. Now, then, ready?”
“Yes, if you will go.”
“Will go? Look here!”
The lad sprang, feet foremost, into the water, and rose directly from out of the depths, to strike out, and as Aleck tried hard to follow his movements, he heard him reach the weedy rock, drag himself out, and the rope was gently drawn more and more through his hands as the middy succeeded in getting erect upon the stone, close to its edge.
“See that?” he shouted.
“Yes.”